Here’s the latest (h/t Hot Air), a school has threatened to discipline a student for off-school property shooting of an airsoft gun. Not just off school property, in his own front yard, as The Washington Times reports:

A 7th-grade student in Virginia Beach, Va., suspended from school for shooting an airsoft gun in his front yard will find out on Monday if he is expelled for the rest of the year, a local television station reported.

Khalid Caraballo, 13, and some friends were playing with airsoft guns on his front lawn as they waited for the bus one morning, WAVY first reported. Airsoft guns are non-lethal replica firearms that fire plastic pellets by way of spring-driven pistons.

A concerned neighbor called 911 to report the incident.

“He is pointing the gun, and it looks like there’s a target in a tree in his front yard,” she told the dispatcher. “This is not a real one, but it makes people uncomfortable. I know that it makes me [uncomfortable], as a mom, to see a boy pointing a gun.”

Ironically, the caller’s son was playing with Khalid and Aidan in the Caraballo front yard.

[Note – a reader emailed that the word “are” in the title was a typo, but it actually is a play on an internet meme.)

Sounds good to me. It makes me uncomfortable, as a citizen, to hear people making frivolous calls to 911, and calling down the authorities on people who are minding their own business. It makes me very uncomfortable. So whom can I call to get this woman arrested, fired, her kid expelled, etc?

Someone is not telling the whole truth / the whole story here, because:

“WAVY.com reached out to the principal of Larkspur Middle School, Matthew Delaney. In a letter obtained by WAVY.com he said his investigation found the “children were firing pellet guns at each other, and at people near the bus stop.” The letter from Delaney says one child “was only 10 feet from the bus stop, and ran from the shots being fired, but was still hit.”

Oh shut up. I never said any of those things; those are just your fabricated personal attacks because you refuse to look at the issue from any perspective that does not march in lockstep with your own personal bias.

Here is my personal opinion: If a kid fired on my teen daughter, much less hit her, while she was walking to the bus stop I’d have his ass and I would be facing charges. And then the school system in Texas would do exactly what they did in Virginia, the kid would be expelled.

You’re trying to reason with someone who thinks that poking her tongue out and blurting “Yeah, well you’re not the boss of me!!11!!” is a cogent and mature debate tool. You’d have better luck trying to teach table manners to my neighbor’s pygmy goat.

DriveBy is right. As the principal explains in his letter, the school has jurisdiction because the children who were being harassed and shot at were on their way to, or at, the bus stop: “There is an expectation that all students should be able to travel to and from school in the safest environment possible.” Now, really folks, we all should be able to agree on that.

Definitely someone is stretching the truth. The airsoft pistol could just barely reach the bus stop from the yard. So either the kid left the yard, no indication of that, or someone wasn’t really hit 10 feet from the bus stop.

Even if the boys “shot” someone at or near the bus stop, surely you can see how a year-long suspension is ridiculously excessive. If you read the letters from the chairman of the school board and the principal you will see they are knee-deep in bullshit. The former insists the one-year suspension is “a measured response to a threat to student safety”, that “A school principle took firm steps to insure weapons didn’t make their way into his school”. The latter says “this was a dangerous situation that involved the intervention of law enforcement”. The local police statement on this story notes that “that this is not something that we proactively seek out to enforce” and in the even they receive a report of an airsoft issue, they will “investigate the call for service and enforce it appropriately, i.e. warning or prosecution”. Apparently the police, who are aware of the difference between a real gun and a pellet gun, chose to not to prosecute. The delusional school officials though, seem to be laboring under the belief that a toy gun may somehow evolve into a real gun, since they consider their intervention to be “firm steps to insure weapons” don’t get into the school. Or, perhaps they are under the impression that the toy IS a weapon, rather than a toy which when abused can annoy people and possibly (although this is very unlikely) injure people. As someone who lives in reality, I’m sure you can appreciate that nobody was in appreciable danger, and that an Airsoft gun is not a weapon. The potential for injury would have been greatly multiplied in a game of king-of-the-hill, red rover or pretty much any other game that children played back in the days when they were expected to eventually become adults. Unfortunately, some kids who never did grow into adulthood were involved here. The spineless woman who called 911 instead of stepping out her front door to confront a 13 year old misbehaving is the first. She could have also opted to contact his parents, though it sounds unlikely she is the type of person who knows her neighbors. The school principle is the other child-adult, who is so engrossed in his fantasy of “protecting the school” that he cannot distinguish between a real weapon and a fake one. Perhaps he is only searching for relevance, knowing that if someone with a real gun came to the school his only option would be cowering under his desk in middle of a “gun free zone”.

I wonder if it’s because school districts are in love with litigating civil rights lawsuits.

The Pursuit of Happiness is the pursuit of private property:

Once again, I shall list the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th amendments for these School districts who are confused:

1st Amendment to the US Constitution:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

2nd Amendment to the US Constitution:

“A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”

[This is to include TOY Armaments as well, in my view]

4th Amendment:

“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

And finally the 5th Amendment (You know, that one were you can’t take property away without Due process of law? Ya, that one):

“No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”

To DriveBy: You have a serious immaturity problem. This may not be the site for you. But your daughter was not the one shot at was she? And this did not happen in Texas did it? There is no proof anyone was shot at who did not want to be shot at. The bus stop was 70 yards away (210 feet). Do you honestly believe that spring-loaded gun could shoot that far? Please do Drive By and don’t stop.

Someone is not telling the whole truth / the whole story here, because:

“WAVY.com reached out to the principal of Larkspur Middle School, Matthew Delaney. In a letter obtained by WAVY.com he said his investigation found the “children were firing pellet guns at each other, and at people near the bus stop.” The letter from Delaney says one child “was only 10 feet from the bus stop, and ran from the shots being fired, but was still hit.”

Quoting you:
“There is no proof anyone was shot at who did not want to be shot at.”
You are making an unfounded assumption, and it flies in the face of the decision to Expel all three boys.

Quoting you:
“The bus stop was 70 yards away (210 feet). Do you honestly believe that spring-loaded gun could shoot that far?”
No, in fact I do not believe that. So it is logical that the three boys took their gunplay to the bus stop or very near it, and they fired on at least one child who did not want to be shot.

I’m with DriveBy on this. If one looks at all the facts, they show that this was not an isolated incident. Further, per the principal’s letter, there is a witness who saw the boys chasing other children in the street, not on “private” property. (As per DriveBy’s link, one child even admits going in the street.) IMO, it sounds like these boys were harassing children who were on their way to the bus stop.

The boys were suspended by a unanimous decision. I don’t think the school had any choice but to suspend them once they were informed about the incidents. If even just one child were injured (and, yes, an Airsoft gun can damage eyes which is why the kids are supposed to wear eye protection when playing with the guns) then the school could be held liable because they had foreknowledge of this behavior.

I really don’t understand the pro-gun mentality that is so bullheaded it defends such unsafe and hostile behavior.

Bad things. Bad things. When I read articles like this I just start to wish ‘bad things’ to happen to these busy bodies. The best response is just to tell them to PISS OFF! — but then their childish feelings would be hurt.

Someone born in 1970 would be 43 today, just when the liberal and environmental movement was gathering steam these turds were pooped out from under their Mama’s skirts. Cuddled and swooned over, these precious snowflakes were told the world was created just for them – everyone was placed upon earth to please their slightest whim.

Perhaps public whippings should be in order for those denying the constitutional rights of others? The lash of a horsewhip leaves a lasting memory. This lady is probably overweight and wears black tights to do her grocery shopping – should have been sterilized at puberty. Is it any wonder her father ran off when she was a little girl?

It is a basic part of the progressive movement to constantly push boundaries, grab rights and power, take control bit by bit, piece by piece. C.O.N.T.R.O.L. Where have you gone, Agent Maxwell Smart? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you. Oo-oo-oo.

This has nothing to do with Zero Tolerance idiocy, nor with hysteria after the Sandy Hook shootings. It is not idiocy. It is deliberate, calculated evil by the Liberal pustules that infest our government and specifically our school system. It is a tactic. Idiocy is just the smoke screen. This is a program to condition, to terrorize, to brainwash our children into fearing and hating guns, patriotism, and Americanism. If the Liberal scum can ruin our children, they have won.

Counterattack. Buy your child a gun, as young as he or she can operate one, and take them to the range. Let them talk it up with their friends. Spread the Good News. Spread the Good News in school.

And teach your children to trust nothing about the education system. Take the education they give you, but only believe the “hard” stuff like mathematics and physics. Parrot the rest back, but never believe it. Be subtle as snakes. Know that the teacher is a cop who wants to destroy you.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Mannie – you have hit the nail on the head.
How is the liberal left going to REALLY implement gun control? (which is really people control).
Via the children.
They are going after YOUR CHILDREN and they are going to drum their leftist socialist views into their heads whether you want them to or not.

Guessing the real motivation of the 911 caller . . . I’m such a good citizen! I’m preventing an interest in toy guns. She doesn’t understand the concept of interference. The activity was none of your business!!!! If it made you uncomfortable then walk away from the window just as you would with violence on TV! This woman is out-of-control with her neurotic bossy behavior. (Notice how liberals love to be bossy.) The boys were not hurt, no one was screaming for help. IT”S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! And the same for the school.

There was a time in this country when this sort of BS would be met with subtle, anonymous force. These morons would find their car tires slashed, their car keyed, their mailbox smashed. And they would get the message…. keep your progressive BS to yourself or find yourself hurt.

In lower class neighborhoods, you can still find that ‘subtle’ justice. In 51 years of life, I have discovered that I like poorer people better. They may have to take crap from those above them, socially. They do NOT take crap from their own echelon. Tires and glass are expensive, so they say.

I am trying to figure out how this incident could lead to a year long suspension. If they stayed on private property and never fired off that property the school has no grounds for any punishment. If they fired off the property onto the school bus stop the school might have jurisdiction. The real kicker is how did the school investigate the incident. Did they just use the person who called 911 for a report or did they have colloborating evidence proving the kids left his property?

I would say that the school better have solid grounds for the pumishment. If the kids parents hire an attorney and the school can’t prove they fired off the private property or left the private property with the toy it could be quite costly for the school.

You seem genuinely curious to understand what really happened, and to not just respond to a headline in a knee-jerk fashion. Good for you!

If you read the story, and not just watch the well scripted and well crafted video production created by the family and that reporter, that is posted at wavy.com, the 911 call actually occurred on the 9th, and the shooting of [at least one non-participant] student at the bus stop occurred on the 13th. The 911 call and the shooting of a student at the bus stop are two completely different events. But try to explain that to the reactionary posters here… They think that they are so smart and so superior; but really they are just people willing to be lead by anything that looks like it meets their approval, without issue. I believe that the term is “Sheeple.”

Would you care to post a link to “the Huffington Post and Media Matters Talking Point of the Day” that relate [in any way] to any of my posts? Please, just do it; it is not that hard to copy and paste. Simpleton.

So it was multiple events with kids being kids. I still see no reason for a year long suspension. I could agree with a couple days suspensions and a meeting with the parents. The over reaction and use of gun language in the suspension is way out of line.

I could not agree with you more. But that is where the Zero Tolerance issue kicks in. I read the letter from the principal; he is going to allow the boys to come back to the school after some probationary time spent in an Alternative school, so all is not lost for them.

On a different note. The parent(s) allowed the boys to shoot like mad before school most days, it seems, and to shoot at other kids – the parent(s) allowed that. I take issue with that. I saw the protective eyewear in the video, but I do not believe that it was always worn or always available, and eyesight is very important throughout anyone’s life. The parent(s) failed more so than their sons, IMHO.

As the school board chairman explained in his letter, the one boy (shown in the news interview) has had discipline problems and was suspended six times in less than 18 months. His behavior has been increasingly aggressive and includes harassment, bullying and fighting resulting in injuries. He couldn’t talk about the other children because their parents had not signed a waiver.

The school learned about the bus stop incident(s) from LE who responded to the 9/12 911 call from a witness saying they saw a boy with a gun chasing another boy in the street. That’s the call that launched the investigation. And, IMO, once the school knew about the behavior they had no choice but to suspend the boys. If a child had been injured after the school was alerted to the problem, then the school would have been blamed.

So why were they suspended? Was it for bullying or doing stupid things with air soft toys? If it was for bullying than that needs to be the reason. Zero-tolerance has nothing to do with this incident unless the toys were on school property. Punishing kids for bad behavior happens everyday and isn’t a problem. Trying to expand a rule that doesn’t apply is the problem.

The boys were using the Airsoft guns to harass the other (unarmed and unprotected) children who were walking to the school bus stop. That’s why the guns were included in the disciplinary language along with “physical abuse” and “disruption.” I really don’t understand why so-called gun rights advocates think supporting middle school bullies advances their agenda. Quite the opposite IMO.

It is not an ad hominem attack. It is an explanation of motivations based on your own words. I refuted that you are a troll. I pointed out your own words that show you feel deeply inferior to other posters here and compulsively oppose them because of it. That is a self esteem issue, as well as a maturity issue. I called you no names. You didn’t have the self-respect nor maturity to reply in kind, which only further proves mine and others’ assessment of you.

I just want to add that when “kids being kids” = bullying, you’re not going to get any support from me. The other non-aggressive children have rights too and they should be able to walk to the school bus stop without intimidation.

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